Effect of High-Intensity Functional Training with Basketball on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Functional Movement Performance in Obese Adolescents.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential beneficial effect and efficacy of two distinct high-intensity functional training (HIFT) protocols on cardiorespiratory fitness and functional movement performance in obese adolescents.

METHODS

Thirty-three obese adolescents were randomly divided into the HIFT combined with basketball group (HB, n = 11), the HIFT group ( n = 11), and the control group (no structured training, n = 11), with a 12-wk intervention (3 sessions/wk, 45 min/training session). Body composition analysis, pulse wave velocity, flow-mediated dilation measurement, heart rate variability assessment, maximum oxygen consumption (VO 2 max) test, and functional movement performance test (Vertec jump, sitting anterior flexion, T-run, 300-yd shuttle run, Y-balance) were employed to evaluate their fitness.

RESULTS

Both interventions significantly reduced body weight, body mass index, and fat mass, while increasing water content. Additionally, HIFT could increase the inorganic salt content, protein content, and muscle mass, while HIFT decreased body mass index-for-age z-scores significantly. In terms of cardiovascular parameters, both interventions substantially reduced blood pressure. However, HIFT could decrease the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. Additionally, both interventions significantly decreased the AIx and AIx@HR75 while improving subendocardial viability ratio and flow-mediated dilation. For heart rate variability indices, both interventions decreased the HR, increased the time-domain indices (RMSSD, PNN50, SDNN, and NN50) and total power of obese adolescents, while also elevating high-frequency and reduced low-frequency/high-frequency ratio compared with the control group. We also found that both interventions could boost VO 2 max and functional movement performance.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated HB and HIFT exerted comparable efficacy in improving the body composition parameters, cardiovascular function, and functional movement performance in obese adolescents, possibly by mitigating arterial stiffness, balancing autonomic activity, enhancing respiratory fitness, and optimizing hemodynamics.